SALEM — Two teams ensconced in the top 10 of the state’s Division 3 power ratings gave each other an early preview of what they can expect the upcoming postseason will be like.
Age-old rivals Danvers and Marblehead skated to a 3-3 overtime tie at Salem State’s Rockett Arena Saturday, where Cam Waldman of the Headers tied the game with 9.9 seconds to go in regulation.
Marblehead, which had won seven straight games coming in, put heavy pressure on Danvers goaltender Braedyn Oteri (31 saves) for most of the last two periods and especially in the 4-on-4, 5-minute overtime, where all four of their shot attempts were excellent scoring chances. Oteri was up to the challenge, though, with his best stop a double pad stack on a rebound bid out front by Sean Dolan.
“We don’t always take advantage of our scoring chances by screening the goalie or going for rebounds, but Cam’s one of the few guys who’s been good at that all season,” said head coach Mark Marfione. “He got his stick down, got position and was ready when the rebound came.”
James Caeran, Kyle Hart, Charlie Grenier and Dolan all had opportunities to win it in the extra session, but Oteri — still getting over some sickness that has affected several of the Falcons — wouldn’t allow it.
“I was laying down and just stuck my legs up in desperation,” Oteri said of robbing Dolan.
“Braedyn saved us today, especially in OT,” added head coach Kevin Fessette.
The game was tied after two periods before Danvers captain Mikey DeLisio gave his team a 3-2 lead with less than nine minutes left in regulation. He did so with a second remaining on a Falcons’ power play by flying down the right wing boards and cutting towards the Marblehead net before roofing a shot over the shoulder of MHS keeper Leo Burdge.
Marblehead (now 9-8-1) kept pushing the puck deep in Danvers territory. They pulled Burdge for an extra skater with two minutes to go and managed five shots on net that Oteri stopped, with two others blocked out front. But Grenier’s blast went off Oteri’s pads and over to Waldman, who backhanded the rebound home stick side with 9.9 seconds remaining.
“At that point it was all about getting pucks to the open lanes to shoot, being gritty out front and fight for rebounds,” said the 18-year-old Waldman. “I was first off trying to screen the goalie, have my stick down on the ice and hope the rebound lands on your stick. It did and I was able to bang it home.”
Danvers (now 9-5-3) took a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes despite managing just three shots in the first period. Freshman Owen Swanton knocked home a backhand out front off a turnover for his second varsity tally, and captain Nick Robinson converted on the power play by picking the top corner from the far circle.
“We’ll start doing some things and be successful at them — moving the puck, skating well, keeping the game simple – like we did in the first period. But then we got away from it,” said Fessette. “In the second period our legs stopped moving and we got lazy. Thankfully we got back to things a bit in the third.”
The middle frame was all Marblehead, though, as they put 13 shots on net and hit twine twice. Hart got things started by picking up a puck along the far wall, working it into Falcon territory and dekeing a defender before slipping one past Oteri. Sophomore Avin Rodovsky tied it on the man advantage by batting home a Caeran rebound far post.
“A lot of our wins have been comeback wins, so we weren’t worried,” said Hart. “We never give up. It’s a true team effort.”
“No one pushed the panic button,” added Marfione. “We were able to generate some scoring chances by continuing to work.”
Danvers 3, Marblehead 3 (OT)
at Richard H. Rockett Arena, Salem State
Danvers;2;0;1;0;3
Marblehead;0;2;1;0;3
First period: D, Owen Swanton (Mikey DeLisio), 4:19; D, Nick Robinson (Josh Henry), ppg, 10:26.
Second period: M, Kyle Hart (James Caeran, Hogan Sedky), 3:46; M, Avin Rodovsk (Hart, Caeran), ppg, 12:53.
Third period: D, DeLisio (Henry), ppg, 6:16; M, Cam Waldman (Charlie Grenier, Hart), 14:51.
Overtime: No scoring.
Saves: D, Braedyn Oteri 31; M, Leo Burdge 13.
Records: D, 9-5-2; M, 9-8-0.